If you enjoy playing skittles the traditional Murcian game “caliche” could be perfect for you

More than 400 people participated in Orihuela’s first Caliche Championship for senior citizens.

Caliche is a game similar-ish to skittles. It is played on a flat surface 35 metres long and 6 metres wide. A wooden baton (called the caliche), is placed 7 metres away. A 2-centimetre disk (moneda) is placed on top of the caliche. A moneo, a weighty metal disk, is then thrown.

The objective of the game is to throw the moneo at the caliche in such a way as the moneda and moneo end up as close as possible to each other.

The game is usually played with two teams of two. Each game has 8 throws, 4 per team and 2 per player. For a throw to be considered valid, the moneda must end up closer to the moneo than the caliche. If the moneo ends up nearer the caliche, the throw was invalid and is called a ganga.

The Councillor for Rural Development, Luis Quesada, indicated that “it is a way for young people to learn about this traditional game that is being lost in our region.”

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